Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-15

lance of about three hundred feet, aud the
centre of the lines TO be opposite the cen
tire of the water works pumping statlon'
These rows of piles are to be about twenty
feet apart, and the piles are to be driven
side by side. as close together as 1t Is pos
sible to put them. Their tops are 70 De
level with the present surface OF the Dar.
Like piles are also to connect these Two
rows at the ends. The gravel and sand
contained inside the rectangular space SO
enclosed is then to be excavated to a depth
of about eight feet. The tests we have
made show that the gravel Of the bar Only
extends downward about three feet, n
that all below that down to q considerable
depth is share, clean sand. IDS
~excavating done, the piles are to De
rooted with three inch oak plank, and the
spaces between these, as well as the
interstices between the piles down to
within say two feet of the bottom OF the
excavation, are to be caulked and cemented
tight, thus allowing no water to enter the
excavation except that which filters
through the sand of the bottom or low
down between the piles. Into this natu'
raj filter the supply pipes of the works
could be carried, with the result that the
city would be assured of q supply oil
water far superior to that now pumped
up for consumption, and equal to or better
than that now in the crib on the Island
bar, which the chemists said was mucn
less impure than the other samples we
sent them for analysis. 1t may be said
that such a crib would not supply b e6,VO-
900 gallons necessary for the daily con-
sumption of the city, but we know that
it would. The crib proposed would holt
300, 900 gallons, and it would be filled
many times each t~wenty-tour hours by
percOlation from the river. How fast the
water runs into such a crib ! will illustrate
from the experience of the Board In con-
nection with a small crib now on the bar.
On one occasion we asked Chief Dunning,
of the Fire Department, to pump this crib
out. He took his best engine over, and
got along very well until he got the water
down three or four feet, but after hat his
utmost endeavors were not equal to gain
ing an inch on the water, and we had to
give up the Job. If q steam fire engine
could not lower the water in a crib of the
small dimensions Of the one now on the
bar, there is no danger but that a crib
2Ox3O0 feet would be ample for the needs
Of the city water works.
~ have said that it was proposed to run
the suction pipes of the works into this
crib. What would probably be done
would be to run two 3O-inCh pipes from
the crib to a point in the river close to the
eastern shore, opposite the works, where
they would be united in one large forty-ive
or forty-eight inch pipe. The suction
pipes of the pumps proper would then be
connected with this large pipe, and from 1t
the supplies would be drawn. Two thirty
inch pipes would carry sufficient water for
the supply of all the pumps, and it would
thus all he drawn from one point IN the
crib.
"Now, as to the cost of this plan, as COM
pared with some of the other schemes with
which the public is familiar. | think the
crib proper could be constructed for fifteen
thousand dollars. 1t certainly would not
require more than twenty. The cost of the
pipe would be the largest item OF expendi-
ture, as it would require eighteen hundred
feet of 3O.inch or larger pipe. This pipe,
and the expense of laying it in a proper
manner with patent joints, would cost
perhaps S25, 600. think, allowing a mar
gin for contingencies, that $780, 600 and one
seasons time would see this great improve
ment COusummated.
But it may be argued that neither the
city nor the Water Board has that amount
of money within reach. This ! grant, but
that is not an unSurmOuntable obstacle.
The gas works has, in the recent past, con-
summated great improvements, and the
Water Board has done the same, without
imposing any additional burden upon the
people. On the contrary they have at the
same time lightened the charges upon the
taxpayers by paying a large amount of the
interest upon the bonded Indebtedness OF
the city. There is now an annua charge
upon each of these Boards OF about fifteen
thousand dollars for interest upon bonds.
The present revenues of the city water
works is about SIS, 900 per year. Our
running expenses are about S25,OOO, and
we have an interest charge, on city ac-
count, of about Sl4, 800. This leaves us
annual surplus Of about $4,000. My
proposition is for Council TO authorize the
issue of $50, 900 of water works bonds,
principal and interest to he an annual
charge upon the works. Such q loan
could be negotiated at five per
cent. and the interest charge
would be 81, 500 annually. This interest
the Board could meet very easily, aud year
by year, az the extensions OF mains, etc,
would allow, We could pay of two, three
or five thousand dollars of the principal.
rCbara y,o,lI ha M additional aSnanSa mt
upon the tax payers, and at the same time
l believe the city would have solved the
water question at anOminal cost compared
with the other plans | have alluded to,
and which we have no assurance would be
beneficial when completed. The matter
which now p~ollutes the drinking water
comes from high up the river, as the an
alysis of water from the Sisters Islands
shows, and therefore any attempt to i'm
prove things by removing the supply pipes
to a point above the northern end OF the
city would inevitably result in failure. l
believe the plan l have outlined is the only
one that is feasible. The question must be
met, and met soon, and il is better to
spend $50, 900 in endeayoring to better our
condition, carrying out a theory
founded upon the reports Of approved
chemists, than to spend $500, 900 in at
tempting something directly contrary to
the truths cleaned by our Investigations. l
hope the citizens and especially members
of the Council will consider what | have
here said, and that steps will taken in the
direction Of placing the necessary funds at
the disposal the Water Board. The well
fare of the city demands this"
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